


A Rocky Mountain Evening

by jethisis



Category: Naruto
Genre: Affection, Budding Love, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Hinakiba - Freeform, Maybe i haven't decided..., One Shot, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27447097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jethisis/pseuds/jethisis
Summary: While travelling through to the sand village, Group 8 gets caught in a rock storm, and are forced to separate for the night until morning, leaving Hinata and Kiba are alone in a dark cave; Kiba's affections come out when Hinata's heart questions why it aches to wait for Naruto to come home.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Inuzuka Kiba
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	A Rocky Mountain Evening

"What do you think they're talking about?" Shino asked Hinata beneath the long black scarf that covered his mouth, his shielded eyes focusing ahead.

They were finally returning home after completing an easy C-Rank mission to the rocky mountains that bordered the Land of Earth, investigating a suspicious rumour that the Hidden Stone Village was seen at the border and entering the country. Lady Tsunade said it wasn't likely, but it was better to be on the safe side rather than be left defenceless; they were instructed not to attack if they met them, and the rumour appeared to be false, as Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru and Shino investigated for several days and found nothing. As they continued their journey back home through the mountains, the wind whistling overhead of its tall peaks, Hinata was stuck in her own mind, wondering almost daily, how much longer until Naruto, the her childhood crush, would ever return home.

Hinata glimpsed back to Kiba and Akamaru, who were falling behind. Kiba murmured to the beast, but Akamaru barked in response, his tail wagging as his hip nudged into Kiba, who head wordlessly shook 'no' to Akamaru, and suddenly lifted to meet Hinata's curious glance. He pulled his gaze back down to the beast, his cheeks touching a warm pink beneath his markings. When Hinata met the black gaze of Shino's glasses, she would pursed her lips in thought. "I'm not sure." Her pale, slender hands shoved into her hoodie pockets, her shoulders shrugging and her head drifted down, staring at her feet. "Arguing if I had to guess."

"It's not loud enough for Kiba to be arguing." Shino insisted surely, his covered eyes staring straight ahead. The air grew quiet between them as they continued to walk, comfortabl, though still. His head turned to look at her once again, tilting slightly before speaking. "Hey Hinata, can I ask you something?" Shino's voice carried a slight edge of curiousity.

"Yes Shino?" Hinata asked, looking to him and blinking.

"Are you sure you wanna end up with Naruto?" His voice was steady, carrying some disinterested, though the shine of his black glasses focused on Hinata's white lavender eyes. Hinata's head dipped down once more, finding herself wondering that more and more with each passing day. It was almost three years since the man she idolized had left to train, and though distance was said to make the heart grow fonder, she found it more lonesome than smitten. Days were once spent wonding when Naruto would come home, and nights hoping he was okay, but distance had its ugly side, for as days began to pass, Hinata found herself becoming less enticed with past charm. Old memories no longer carrying the same excitement as before, and her once-racing heart would only beat silently at the thought of his name. Without an answer, Shino continued to verbally prod his teammate. "You know how I feel about the guy, and there are people who better deserve someone like you." Shino was always kind regarding the matter of Naruto, but he did constantly question her infatuation. 

Though her answers seemed so simple and sure before, their simplicity suddenly seemed foolish while growing away from her childhood crush; Hinata would only shrug. "I guess so." She said, though it came out more disheartened, having never given any true thoughts to other guys, her attention always focused on Naruto.

Shino's head shook, his own hands stuffing into his jacket as they walked. "You don't give yourself enough credit." He continued as they briskly strolled, though a quiet still hung over her, knowing Shino was right. She watched the ground as they walked, wondering if Shino was right, but before she could try to agree, he spoke once more. "You know Kiba wants to ask you-"

"Look out!" 

Hinata and Shino turned to look at Kiba, who charged forward with Akamaru rushing past him. The beasts white maw grabbed Shino's bag and dragged him to the right. Kiba's arms quickly grasped Hinata's waist and dived forward as a large boulder crashed behind them and tumbled down the stone path. Hinata gasped as she fell to the ground, hearing the loud noise the boulder but not seeing it or anticipating it. Her pale eyes looked up, seeing Kiba's body protectively hovering over her, and staring down at her to see if she was okay, a look of flooding concern filling his stare. Pebbles and stones began to roll down the mountain side around them, clicking against the stone ground beneath them.

"It's rock rain!" Shino shouted from the cover Akamaru had dragged him towards, his hands cupped to let his voice carry as he warned his friends.

Kiba's voice was right in Hinata's ear, his breath hot against the lobe. "We have to move." 

One of Kiba's arms pulled Hinata to her feet in a scurry, his body protectively hovering over her as he pulled the young woman towards his chest. Several large boulders began to topple down the left mountainside, threatening to crush them if they tried to follow their friends to the safety of the overhang. Kiba led Hinata to the left, dodging and weaving, his shoulders covering her to protect her, until a nearby overhead ledge with a shallow cave that beckoned them to safety. The two of them stood next to one another, out of breath from the panic, while watching the stones rain down from the sky. Hinata clutching her chest with such shock from almost being crushed, taking slow, deep, calming breaths to try and settle her heart rate. Her white-lavender eyes peaked up and over to Kiba, who finally let go of her waist, but stayed close to her regardless, and a look of concern filled his eyes.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" He asked in a protective manner, his black eyes fixated on hers.

Hinata stared up at Kiba and felt her face grow warm as she met the shinobi's gaze. Behind his black eyes of concern lingered something else as he stared into the eyes of the young woman. She sucked in a silent breath, familiar with the longing look, but unable to put her finger on the way Kiba had felt. "I-I'm fine." She stammered under his attentive gaze, feeling her cheeks beginning to turn pink under his lingering stare while his hand brushed a stray piece of her long, black hair out of her face.

"Are you two okay?" Shino called from his cover, followed by Akamaru howling to Kiba.

Kiba stepped back suddenly, a sheepish look filling his face, before turning to the mouth of the cave to speak to Shino, giving Hinata a moment to catch her breath. "Yeah, we're fine!" Kiba shouted back, cupping his hands around his mouth, while daring to peak outside the cave, despite the tumbling stones overhead. "Not sure how we're suppose to get to you though."

Shino's voice echoed from across the way. "I think we should wait until morning. It doesn't sound like the wind's going to die down soon. We'll meet at sunrise."

Hinata moved to a deeper part of the cave, anticipating on setting camp for the night, while Kiba called back. "Alright, you guys stay safe!" With a loud shout. As Hinata began to peel off her own bag and dig through her belongings, only a moment laster, a muttering growl left Kiba's throat. "Shit." He said to himself, kicking a stray pebble out of the mouth of the cave and into the rain.

Hinata's head turned to the side to her teammate. "What's wrong, Kiba?" She asked, pulling out her sleeping bag.

Kiba crouched down, his head bowing in defeat, and his hands rubbed at his spiky brown hair in frustration. "Shino has the tent and Akamaru has my bag," He groaned while holding his head. "I wish i never traded it off, now I'm going to freeze my ass off tonight." The shinobi grumbled to himself.

Hinata's brows rose, but smiled at Kiba while he grumbled to himself. She did rather enjoy his company, and this wasn't the first time Kiba left his pack behind. "I don't mind sharing for the night." She said softly as she began to unpack for their abrupt stop, untying the sleeping bag from its compressed hold and shaking it out of the thin cloth bag.

Kiba glimpsed over his shoulder, though in the orange, glowing sunset, Hinata could see his cheeks growing a deeper shade of scarlet that almost matched his face markings. "You don't have to do that." He said, his voice growing softer as he looked to Hinata, baring the same gaze as before.

His gaze didn't make her uncomfortable, but set a strange flutter in the pit of her stomach. Her head only shook as she unclasped the sleeping bag and began to unroll. "It's alright. You know there's enough room for two-"

Kiba stood to his full height, his shoulders tense and his back still to Hinata. "No, it's that. I..." As his voice drifted off, Hinata stared over, finding Kiba's body stiff, and his head still bowed. A strange silence filled the air that the tapping of the stone-rain couldn't fill. Kiba peaked over his shoulder, almost appearing embarrased at the idea of them sharing her sleeping bag, though he was almost every time he came across the problem. Kiba's head finally turned away, nervously rubbing his hand along his scalp. "Never mind." He said, shaking his head, though his voice still carried a sense of abashment. "That's really kind of you, Hinata."

Her brows furrowed for a moment, wondering about Kiba's strange attitude, but would only brush it off as worrying about Akamaru, knowing he hated when they were separated.

With dusk beginning to settle and the air growing colder, Hinata readied herself for bed, dragging a comb through her long, blue-black hair to untangle the knots. Kiba stood near the mouth of the cave, watching the sun fall behind the tall peaks and the stones falling from the mountain tops as the cave began to be swallowed in a dim shadow. Hinata watched him curiously, the man almost appearing off in his own world, his thoughts elsewhere and not noticing Hinata's prying eyes. Though he seemed a tad solemn without his companion, Hinata couldn't help but smile, by could feel the red flush coming in again. Her head bowed for a moment, staring at the comb in her hand and began to wonder what Shino was saying before the rock rain began, and what is was Kiba wanted to ask her.

"Hey." He called suddenly, though didn't look over. Kiba's silouhette stood in the glowing light of the red sunset, and the shadows within the cave had grown much darker. Hinata watched as his hands shoved into his pockets and his shoulders shrugging in a meek way. "Shino said before sunrise, so..."

Hinata finished his thought, though as it left her lips, a nervous flutter would fill her chest. "I guess we should head to sleep then." She said with a slight stammer, suddenly nervous to share her bedroll with Kiba. She slid in through the mouth of the sleeping bag, and shifted her bodyto the side, trying to give the shinobi as much room as he could to crawl in. Though the bag was fairly roomy, for two people it was a tight squeeze; Hinata's back was pressed into Kiba's chest and she could feel his heart wildly pounding against her, keeping in time with her own.

"Sorry about this." Kiba said in a sheepish manner, his head bowing slightly so Hinata could feel the warm caress of his breath.

"It's no trouble." Hinata said, though could feel her face turning beat red, burying her face in the sleeping bags fabric. The back of her neck pricked, feeling each of Kiba's soft breaths caress it and sending chills down her spine. As the evening turned to night, the air grew much cooler in the dark cave, and Hinata was thankful for the extra bdy heat. The ground below lightly rumbled from the collapsing stones from the tall peaks. Hinata could feel Kiba and her breath synchronize in the darkness, his chest rising and falling against her body in time with her own, and though the moment was soothing, Hinata was curious about what Shino had mentioned earlier. "Kiba?" Hinata finally asked in a hush tone after building her courage.

"Yeah?" His voice matched her gentle hush.

Hinata's eyes clenched shut, almost afraid of what he'd say, afraid of what he had to ask. "Shino said you wanted to ask me something?"

She could feel his body tense at the question, and Kiba held his breath at first, no longer following the pattern of Hinata's. "I do, but." His shoulders shrugged as his head bowed slightly; she could feel his warm forehead against the back of her neck. "It's not really the best time, right now." His voice took on a nervous edge.

"Oh." She said in a quiet manner.

The air was still between them as the rumbling began to slow with the wind dying down and the rocks stopped rolling down the mountain side, the silence almost deafening. While Hinata was left to wonder what curiosities her friend bore, Kiba's elbow struggled to pull out of the sleeping bag "It's just." Hinata's head tilted back to look at Kiba, who struggled to get a little bit more room in the sleeping bag, and make it less tight. "Don't you ever get bored of waiting for Naruto to come home?" He asked, though Hinata had heard this question nearly a dozen times from him.

A sigh would leave her lips. "I guess I do." She finally admitted in a defeated way, though normally, she'd tried to avoid the topic all together. Hinata squirmed inside the bag until she lied on her back, staring at the dark overhead of the cave, despite the fit feeling tighter. "I don't know. Some days it just feels like he's never coming back." A sigh left her lips, but Hinata wasn't one for long winded complaints.

"You shouldn't have to wait on him forever, you know." Kiba's tone was low, insistent, and Hinata could feel his hot breath against her cheek. "I mean, it's hard to watch you wait for a guy who doesn't notice you, when you're so..." Kiba's words trailed off, as if second guessing them. She could feel his hot breath leave her skin as he turned his head, though his skin radiated heat from his flushing face. "All I'm saying is you deserve someone who knows how great you are."

"Shino said the same thing earlier." Hinata's eyes closed as she took a slow, deep breath; her face was beginning to feel hot, thinking about Kiba's words, or lack there of. There was something unspoken that Hinata could feel, and almost impossible to ignore. The sleeping bag felt stiff with Hinata on her back, and timidly, she rolled to face Kiba. She felt his body tense up as she did so; his face was so close, his breath against her skin and his nose nearly touching hers. Though once before, being so close wouldn't have caused her heart to race the way it did, Hinata held her breath, staring at Kiba's silhouette.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, swallowing nervously.

Her eyes clenched tight as she took a slow breath, trying to build her nerve. "Kiba?" He tilted his head the slightest bit, but moved his head back, as though not to breach the invisible barrier between them. She took another deep breath, and let her curiosities slip off her tongue. "Does it... Bug you... The way I feel about Naruto?"

He was quiet, which was odd for Kiba, and Hinata could hear him timidly swallow at her question, while looking away. "I mean..." His voice wavered with nerves, and he paused as though trying to collect his thoughts. "Naruto's a good guy and all, but...It breaks my heart to watch you wait for a him to come back. And when he's around... It's like he never notices all the good things about you." 

Hinata could barely hold her tongue with her curiosity; with Kiba, it was always difficult to fight her honesty. "Do I... Are you jealous?" Her heart quickened when the words left her lips, almost afraid of the answer. "About... How I feel?" Hinata had to question though, was the feelings she bore for Naruto real, or a longing imagination of her heart.

She heard him suck in a slow, nervous breath, the air feeling thinner around them. "Yeah... I am." She silently gasped, almost shocked to hear him admit it, her eyes widening as she watched his tense silhouette. "I know I shouldn't be, but I am, and I've always.." Kiba suddenly held his tongue, as if afraid to keep talking, his head turning away, as if questioning the words he spoke. He stayed silent for a moment, as if regretting the sudden slip of his heart, before trying to replace his spoken emotions. "I'm just teasing, you know, I couldn't help my-

Hinata, however, curled into him, resting her hands against his chest and bowing her head into his shoulder, giving into his admitted feelings. He froze completely, at a loss for words and his heart stopping its frantic beat at her gentle touch. She smiled softly, taking a deep breath of his scent, grass and the sun, something she never truly appreciated until her face was buried against the crook of his neck. "You're really sweet... Kiba." She mumbled, fighting through her blossoming, infatuated anxiety.

He held is breath, as if waiting for a continued ' _but_ ', and the longer he waited for Hinata to say it, the hotter his face became, and the longer he held his breath. Kiba swallowed nervously, realizing that she wasn't rejecting his affections, but in her own quiet, shy way, tried to encourage them. "Th-thank you." Kiba muttered breathlessly after a long silence.

Nervously, his elbow that rested out of the bag suddenly wrapped beneath her neck, and pulled her closer. The other looped around her side, firmly holding her shoulders and keeping Hinata's face buried in her neck, not giving her the chance to pull away now that she was in his loving grasp. She leaned in closer, letting her body melt against his firm chest, nuzzling in close. Kiba's hand softly brushed along the length of her hair, his fingers touched along her scalp, twirling and brushing it was soothing for the young woman, her eyes closing comfortably. The two stayed silent, as though trying to keep the still, romantic air present, letting only gentle breaths pass between them. Hinata felt as though she were in heaven, her deepest wants and cravings were satisfied by Kiba's gentle affections.

His hand slowed sublty, as though he, too, were being lulled by the soft intimacy they shared. His head rested against the side of hers, their breaths rising and falling together in a soft, automatic manner, and in their affection entanglement, as Kiba mumbled in a lazy, sleepy way. "Goodnight, Hinata." Though she wanted to say it back, she was already drifting off to sleep, though a wide smile spread against her face as she dozed off in Kiba's comforting arms.

The sky began to turn warm hues of pinks, blues and purples as the sun began to rise and Hinata awoke in a sleepy daze. The night before felt almost like a tender dream, but Hinata knew it was reality when Kiba's arms still enveloped her, and her face still pressed into his shoulder. She wanted to pull closer and back at the same time, unsure of how he would react to their brief intimacy from the night before, which stirred in Hinata's heart and mind in her awakening, realizing her dreamy night was her current reality. Her body tensed within Kiba's arms, daring to pull back and glimpse at the sleeping Shinobi.

"Hmm?" Kiba mumbled at the slight motion of Hinata; his eyes fluttered open, still finding her wrapped in his arms, and his cheeks were as deep of red as the markings, as though realizing that last night wasn't a dream either. "Uh... Good morning, Hinata." He mumbled timidly, pulling his arms back.

"M-morning!" She stammered with a bright red face, her eyes clenching and her head bowing nervously.

Kiba climbed out of the sleeping bag and stood up, stretching out from his cramped sleep. Hinata followed him out of the sleeping bag, and rolled it up tightly while her heart beat wildly in its chamber. She wasn't sure what to make of the night before, and though had a vague idea of what Kiba wanted to ask, she didn't know the specifics, or how she would be even able to respond. Her eyes fixated at the shinobi, who stretch with a loud yawn, his sharp teeth exposed and made Hinata's heart flutter excitedly, her silent gasp of infatuation catching in her throat. With her gaze lingering to long, he dared to peak over and give Hinata a sheepish smile. Her head quickly bowed, her hands fumbling as she tried to tuck the rolled bed into its bag.

Kiba knelt before her. "Let me help you." He mumbled almost sweetly; she held the bag open as he crammed the roll in, his hands occasionally touching Hinata's while slipping the rolled sleepy bag into its holder, almost making her gasp and pull away. She held her tongue while Kiba set it inside Hinata's bag, and flipped the top closed while latching it shut.

"Kiba?" She called weakly, nervously, his name catching on her tongue before she could stop it.

As Kiba's black eyes glimpsed over to meet Hinata's, she could feel her face beginning to turn a bright shade of red. "Yeah?" He asked with an arched brow, but a coy smile.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as her hands nervously lifted, her index fingers gently touching one another as her gaze looked down at her backpack. "I-well I uhm-" She stammered, feeling an almost overwhelming amount of butterflies fluttering through her stomach and up into her chest. 

Kiba's brow rose, a toothy smile beginning to spread against his lips as he awaited Hinata to ask her question. But the longer she took to ask, the wider his smile spread. "I never thought I'd see you do that for me." He said in a low, breathless murmur, his hand reaching for her chin to tilt it up to meet his eye. 

Hinata could feel her cheeks beginning to flush a deeper scarlet while being so close, and the coarse touch of his hand against her jaw. she wanted to pull back, but couldn't bring herself to; though lost in the sea of his eyes, Hinata felt as though she was treading water. "W-well, uhm... Did you want to ask me-" How difficult it was to fight through her stammering, her words caught in her throat and almost impossible to fight out. 

He smiled, but as Hinata stared into his gaze, she could as something lingering in his eyes, deeper than infatuation, more intrigued than passing emotions. A meek, but eager smile spread against his lips as his hand began to cup the side of her jaw so tenderly. "Look... What I wanted to ask you the other night was-"

Before he could continue, Akamaru rushed in, tail waging and rising to his full height as his paws pressed into Kiba's shoulders and knocked him onto his back, interrupting the tender moment. The dog panted excitedly as Kiba's hand rubbed the top of Akamaru's head and baring him a smile. His hand tousled the top of the dogs head, while Akamaru happily licked Kiba's face in an affectionate greeting; Hinata covered her mouth, trying to keep herself from giggling out loud.

"Hey Akamaru." He said in a low, but friendly tone. "I missed you too."

Shino was following close behind, his bags packed and holding Kiba's pack in his hands. "That storm put us back a little. We'll have to hurry if we want to meet our deadline." He said while passing Kiba his bag as while he climbed to his feet.

Kiba tucked his backpack over his shoulder, his hand still resting on Akamaru's back. "I guess your right." He sighed, before peaking back to Hinata; the warm, infatuated glint returned to his eyes as they met hers. "You ready to go, Hinata?"

"Uhm, Y-yeah." She stammered, rushing to catch up; Shino's brow lifted, but said nothing, and the four stepped out of the mountains, ready to return to their home.

As they ran through the forest, Hinata's mind was elsewhere as she began to fall behind. Akamaru seemed happy to be reunited with Kiba, the pair jabbering and playing with one another on their long run home, while Shino took the center. As Hinata's mind would replay the events of the night before, her breath would quicken and her face would feel warm, and she tried her best to not think of not it. Not of his brief uttering confession, the way he smiled at Hinata, as though silently promising everything would worked out, not the way his arms wrapped around her in the cold night, and played with her hair. Not the way Hinata woke up, and was more than delighted that it wasn't all a dream.

"So, did Kiba finally ask you?" Shino said, falling back a bit to Hinata's position, glimpsing over to her.

She had barely noticed Shino's approach, lost in her own train of thought and comforted by memories. "No." She admitted, glimpsing up to the back of his head and feeling her cheeks warm up a soft pink. "He was going to when you guys came in." She didn't state it meanly, but more embarrassed. "But... I think I know what he wants to ask now..."

"So what're you going to say?" He asked with a light hint of curiosity of what would become of his two friends.

"I'm not sure..." Hinata admitted. "I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to."

Shino nodded with an air of understanding. "Your father's worried about the clan name, huh?" He asked, and though Hinata nodded, Shino looked ahead to Akamaru and Kiba, the latter of who seemed in a fantastic mood. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Even from that standpoint, the Inuzuka is a pretty honoured clan." Though Hinata silently agreed, she was still timid about having to break the news to her father, and what he might say in response.

Group 8 finally returned to the village hidden in the leaf, greeted by the guards who let them stroll through the gate without a second thought. Kiba and Shino chatted, eager to be back home, Hinata trailed behind, staring at the back of Kiba's head, so nervous for his question, and afraid of how he'd react when she'd have to respond. They went to the Hokage's first, to let her know of their patrols, and though they didn't run into any trouble, she paid them regardless. "You three did good." Lady Tsunade observed, though she was looking at a stack of documents in her hand, and several spread over her desk. "Sorry to send you out on a false alarm, but it's better for us to know the village is safe in the long run." She tapped the stack against her desk, making sure they were in an orderly fashion before peaking up. "Now hurry home, I'm sure your families are more than excited to see you." She gave them a small smirk before looking back to the paper, and lifting her tea to her lips, most likely having a bit of liquor in it.

Kiba and Shino walked Hinata home first, as always; she was the first stop on the way out of town, and the last to be picked up before training. Everyone seemed in good spirits to be back in the village, making plans for the next coming days until another mission would interrupt their promised youth. Hinata walked between Shino and Kiba, listening to Shino's flat words, levelled by Kiba's enthusiasm, and somehow, she managed to fit in the centre of all of it, as though three pieces of a puzzle finally placed together to show a bigger picture. They passed beneath several street lights until the Hyuuga household came into view, elegant, pristine under decorated, and a thick wall protecting the home.

While everyone said their goodbyes and Hinata waved to her friends, Kiba waved Shino and Akamaru to go ahead without him. "I'll catch up in a second." Kiba announced, his arm wrapping around Hinata's shoulder, pulling her back and keeping her in place before she could head inside.

Though flustered by the bold move of intimacy, Hinata glimpsed up at him with a look of curiosity, while Akamaru and Shino began to stroll ahead. She felt her heart racing in her chest, her face clear and red beneath the street light overhead, and she gave a timid smile to Kiba. "Uhm, Hi, K-Kiba." She stammered, growing embarrassed with the two of them alone.

His arm stayed around her, his eye looking at her impishly and giving her a crooked smile that made her heart skip a beat. "Hey, so." Kiba turned Hinata and his backs to Shino and Akamaru, as though not allowing them to read his lips of their private conversation. "What I wanted to ask you..." Hinata smiled nervously, her cheeks growing hot, but she felt an eager anticipation for Kiba's next words. "Do you... Maybe... Want to go on a date... With me?" He looked nervous as the words left his lips, and gave her a nervous smile.

Hinata looked into his eyes for moment, feeling the weighted burden of her family name. "I want to say yes but-" Kiba's face twisted into grief, already anticipating Hinata's rejection. Her head bowed, the look in his eyes breaking her heart, and the chance that she'd have to say 'no', despite her wants. "You have to ask my father." She mumbled quietly.

Kiba's head tilted, slightly confused. "Huh?"

"It's... About our clan... Even if I'm not to be the heiress, my father still wants a say on which families Neji and I end up taking in." A look of slight concern filled his face, which Hinata couldn't help but expect. Her father was strict, traditional, and nothing less would ever be good enough; it was one of Hinata's flaws that she didn't have the power to change at sixteen.

His body tensed, looking into the large gate that beckoned Hinata home, and she whole-heartedly understood if Kiba changed his mind. However, his arm tightened, pulling her close and leaning down to mumble into her ear, his warm breath caressing her lobe. "I'll do it." He whispered in a hush manner. His lips suddenly caressed along her cheek bone, and softly pressed into the round of her her cheek, making her quietly gasp.

She met his eye for a moment, seeing a smug look of infatuation spread plain against his face. Hinata's eyes widened with surprise, though speechless at the tender touch of infatuation. His arm tightened around her body as the other looped around her, squeezing her tight and a quiet, but complient sigh left his lips, as though feeling ease with her in his arms. Although Hinata was almost awestruck with his bold nature, her arms wrapped around him, holding his back and burying her face into his shoulder once more, and letting his ocean of feelings consume her, swallowing her in its tide. He was warm, comfortable, more familiar than Hinata had anticipated, and the way she fit perfectly into his grasp was enough of a sigh to Hinata, thinking perhaps all along, it was her best friend, who was the right fit for her, and in that moment, she wasn't ready to let him go.

"I'd do anything for you, Hinata." Kiba mumbled gently, his breath hot against her ear. "Just so I can show you how you deserve to be treated."


End file.
